Trials (2/5)

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In truth, the redhead felt a tad nervous, but when his name was called, he sucked it up and made his way forward, moving towards the stage with calm and collected steps. Jak had never been one to back down from a challenge and he didn't plan on starting either as he firmly planted himself in front of the full length mirror, of which was quite a bit taller then he was.

There were many things running through the youths mind as he reached out to touch the surface of the mirror with the tips of his fingers. Every workout he underwent alone, every sparring match with Mako, every lesson with Hadok, and every story his parents had ever told him ran through his head on repeat as he placed his full palm on the clear glass. All of his hard work and time spent, readying himself for this day, was about to be tested as he closed his eyes and let his magic course through him, something he had only recently learned to do. A bright white light lit up the room almost immediately, washing over everything and causing Jak to squeeze his eyes tighter so as to not get blinded by the brilliant flash.

The light only lasted for a few seconds though before once again dying back down until it vanished entirely, leaving the young redhead standing there with his hand against the glass. Following that, without hesitation, Jak opened his eyes and quickly looked up at the space slightly above him, waiting for the number that would decide his fate. Time seemed to stand still for him, seconds feeling like hours as the youth continued to stare, holding his breath as he prayed for a good verdict.

An eternity passed.

Then the numbers appeared, numbers designed to crush the youths hopes as he stared at them, mouth agape.

"Jak Yanda, no affinity. Score is 1697," Akino said, rapidly writing down the information on her clipboard. "Due to the examinee being younger then the designated age, the minimum requirement is 1,800. Therefore, examinee Jak Yanda has failed the first trial."

Those that had passed began to mutter amongst themselves, others in glee while some held forms of sympathy or disappointment. The group that had failed also held mixed looks, though one of them decided to help the youth by walking over to console him before leading the redhead over to the failed section. Whether or not the youth had the heart to go on wasn't a question as the trials would go on regardless of what happened to him. Jak himself was already aware that the majority only cared about whether they themselves passed or not, and he was no different.

As the last three examinees walked up and finished their trial, Jak attempted to recollect himself. His confidence had taken a massive hit, but he knew what needed to be done and, though losing the first trial had made it much harder on him, there were still two more that needed his full attention. He NEEDED to bring his A-game lest he fail and allow Mako to overtake him and become an adventurer before he himself did.

From downtrodden and defeated to standing and confident, Jak needed to do something drastic in order to get himself back in the running, to get back into the mindset of a true Elemental Rookie.

Standing up straight, the young redhead looked around, mainly towards the two receptionists who were overseeing the trials. After insuring that they weren't looking in his general direction, Jak nudged the same adventurer who had lead him over to that spot and poked him in the side.

"Oi, I need you to hit me."

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The first trial was designed to test ones magical capabilities, measuring the overall strength and capacity of ones magic before dishing out a number from 1 to 3000, numbers that were set prior to the start of each overall exam. If the examinee didn't have the desired amount, they would fail it without question.

Akino Aubree knew the rules, had gone over them hundreds of times when she had first landed her job as a WGC worker a little over a year ago, rereading them again and again without fail. She was aware of how the system worked and even why each test was essential for determining if one was qualified to become an adventurer. The Elven woman even agreed with the current status quo, believing that those unqualified would just hurt themselves and or others the moment they entered the Rifts.

However, just because she agreed with them, didn't mean she had to like it.

In truth, she held little to no interest on the trials themselves, mostly because of the majority of newbies who passed through the WGC. Most of them were average and lacked the potential to be anything more than just C-rank adventurers, adventurers who were as common as drops of water in the vast ocean. Their scores were barely above the prerequisites and their attitudes left much to be desired. What the elf truly wanted was to get a decent group or even an individual that showed promise, that gave off an overwhelming show of potential with a strong demeanor, but after so many groups had come and gone that particular day, she had all but given up hope.

It was then that a light appeared in the darkness, a hope that went by the name of Eriz Nako, a newbie wielding the earth attribute and a shattering score of 2,180.

Eriz Nako had completely and utterly decimated not only the current group of newbies but also every group that had gone previously. While the second highest in the crowd had gotten 1709, the one to watch had become Eriz, stealing the show and making everyone else seem insignificant in comparison. For the first time that day, Akino was actually looking forward to the second test just to see what else the individual had in store.

"And that ends the first trial," Flora said, commanding the room once again, interrupting Akino's train of thought. A few minutes had passed since the redhead had finished his own turn and the few people remaining had finally concluded their magic assessments. Within that time Akino had been lost in her own thoughts, something that tended to happen every once in a while. "We won't bother wasting anyone's time and will be diving straight into the next trial."

"Remember, if you fail 2 out of three trials then you'll fail the exam." Akino pushed her glasses up slightly as she gazed from group to group, collecting herself like nothing had happened. "Of course, that also means that if you failed this portion, you'll be able to redeem yourselves in the next two trials. Remain strong and persevere, that's the only way you'll be able to become an adventurers and potential Rift Hunters in the future."

Despite saying this, the elven woman didn't have any real confidence in those that had failed the first test. Once someone failed the first trial, the next one became even harder to complete due to the increased stress and anxiety that was suddenly placed on the examinee. Based on statistics, over 70% of newbies that failed the first trial went on to fail the second while the remaining percentage barely passed. It would take drastic measures to climb out of the pit of ones own wavering self confidence, measures not everyone would be aware of. It was such a shame too as she had had high hopes for the small and energetic redhead that had managed to sneak up on her earlier. In the beginning, it had actually been Jak that she had wanted to pass, but such a hope never came to fruition. The woman had never encountered someone who lacked an aura, let alone the someone being a mere youth who hadn't even hit his teens and it had piqued her curiousity.

"With the first test concluded, let's change up the scenery," Flora said as she reached up and snapped her fingers, a quick flick that even Akino nearly missed. "We'll need a wider room."

The room shimmered and rippled, akin to a drop of water landing in a small puddle, before warping into something else entirely. What was once a solid square room was transformed into a wide and rectangular space filled with countless things such as a racetrack, boxes painted on the floor, and a massive wall made out of some kind of red rubbery substance. No remnants of the previous room remained and Akino found no traces of illusions being used, only small hints of magic which permeated the air around them. No matter how many times she saw the room shift, it still boggled her mind as she surveyed the room with dark green hues.

"For the second test, we'll be conducting a physical assessment, although a much more simplified version." Flora held up three fingers, brown eyes flicking betwixt the groups. Her other hand poked Akino in the side, clearly aiming to make sure she was focused and ready to continue explaining. "Putting it simply, you'll each participate in three activities. Sprinting to test speed, dodging to test reflexes, and punching to test overall strength."

"After each and every test is done, you'll be given a score. Should that score be too low and we detect that you were able to enhance your own body using magic, the examiners will then discuss on how many bonus points should be added." Akino lifted her clipboard and began rifling through it, sifting along until she finally managed to locate the sheet with the examinees names. "This trial is ran in groups of five and you each get three attempts at each exercise. Your best score of all of them will be the only one counted. When I call your name, step up to the first exercise. First up, Jak Yanda."

The next test was made to go in reverse alphabetical order and therefore, the five who had gone last on the previous trial would then be going first. Akino wasn't sure why it needed to be reversed but she didn't question it as Flora proceeded to show the redhead where to stand. As WGC workers, their job was to simply follow and enforce the rules, that was all they were paid to do and wondering why the World Guild Center did something was pointless as it had to be done whether they liked it or not.

(("I feel bad for the little guy,")) Akino commented internally as she called out the next few people on the list. (("Only just recently failed the first trial and now he's being put on the spot for the second one. It must be hard on him, especially when considering the mental burden in combination with his young age."))

As Akino walked past the small youth, intending to make her way down to the other end of the area, where the finish line would be, the Elven woman took a small glance. Jak wasn't the first child of the day who had tried out despite being below the age restriction, and every single one of them had failed, losing in the exact same way. They fell short on the first trial and then proceeded to beat themselves up, building up their own stress and anxiety until they fizzled out and failed the second trial in its entirety. What she had expected to see was a youngling with a damaged or shattered confidence, eyes filled with self doubt as he prepared himself for the first test.

However, what she got was a child whose eyes looked determined, as if he was ready to take on the entire world. Just below his crimson hues, positioned on his left cheekbone, sat a fresh, black and purple bruise.

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